digital artist marita madio will take you on a dreamy trip with her images of this sicilian island

during the pandemic, marita madio, a digital artist and a fully trained architect, fantasized about a place where houses are built between the sky and the sea, where the everyday life is comfortably quiet and far away from the loud and super busy cities, where mother nature rules the hands of time with her giving and depriving. she created a series of images that reflect her fantasies and dreams of escaping real world.

images courtesy of marita madio
art corner: the essential kit of an artist

the project name ‘QUÈTU’, it’s a sicilian word and it means calm and quiet, something that is safe in its own time and space. the pieces of art by marita madio take place in alicudi, a part of the sicilian islands of eolie right in the heart of the mediterranean sea. among the seven islands, alicudi is known for being the wildest one, which has also preserved its volcanic nature. it is mostly unchanged despite the passage of time, not affected by the tourist flow. exploring this island means diving into the past by renouncing to any kind of comfort and embracing a more authentic way of living closely with nature.

the kitchen: the heart of the house, where everything is preserved

to her, the images are a portrait of the everyday life on this island that appears to be a sanctuary where you can set yourself free from the unnecessary sparkle and live a more simple and authentic life. in this place, time expands and one can uncover the beauty in the small things; the paint peeling off the old walls from the sea breeze, drawing intricate geometries, hand painted majolica tiles, shadows drawn by the sun filtering through bamboo canopies, blue windows framing the sea.

moka: nothing can happen without a good coffee first

the house on this island is the place of memories where you can feel safe without being constrained, where you are free to lean out over the infinite and that takes you back to the holiday season and to the times of lightheartedness. on this island everything takes us back to a time far away, where the old treasures are safe, a real open air museum where every wall and path are the testament of the effort of all the people that used to live there and a celebration of their special relationship with the land that accommodates them.

on the table: when a lunch with friends is over and you’re off enjoying the sun

the tree: a view of filicudi on a misty day

window view: a simple frame to the sea

project info:

name: QUÈTU | alicudi

artist: marita madio

designboom has received this project from our ‘DIY submissions‘ feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here.

edited by: yasmina karam | designboom